The Lost Planet
by LaPierreVonTigger
Summary: The Doctor's three companions have gone missing. Captured by Maldrithians. And he must find them before the beast at the center of the Lost Planet has a feast.
1. The Lost Planet

**Okay, so you know, this is actually "episode" 9 of our (my friends and I) series. So basically there are three companions, Lacie, Kristin, Sidney. Lacie is a Ninja (an alien from the planet Nijiaha), Sidney is a Stranger (genetically modified human from the planet Adionexus), and we don't know what Kristin is. If there are any confusing references to the past let me know and I'll address them. Oh and Zilkey saved our butt's once by rescuing us when we left the fabric of reality. In case you are curious, I am the "Sidney" character. We all represent one of them. So enjoy...**

**Doctor Who - The Lost Planet**

By: LaPierreVonTigger

"Lacie! No!" Kristin's voice was raw with anguish and grief. "What do you want from us?" she sobbed.

The darkness was crushing. Nothing could be seen in any direction. Kristin and Sidney had to rely only on hearing. It was like the games of murder they used to play at Harbor Ridge. Unfortunately there was a real assassin after them. Kristin heard footsteps in the distance.

Sidney screamed. "It's up to you now. SAVE US!" her voice disappeared the same way Lacie's had.

"No! Sidney! Who are you? Show yourself!"

Suddenly the lights flashed on, like a strobe light. Kristin struggled to her feet, her movements looking like individual pictures strung together to make a choppy movie. Something moved to her left. Her head snapped around and she screamed, before she was too taken. "DOCTOR!"

***theme***

Lacie smiled as she looked back at her horse Puton, tucked away in his stable. He saw her watching and his ears perked up and he whinnied. Lacie laughed. "Alright, fine." she walked over to his stall and pulled an apple out of her pocket and handed it to him. His lips tickled the palm of her hand as he snatched away the apple. "Puton!" she giggled and wiped her hands on her riding pants. "I got to go. We've got a big trip coming and I need to talk to my agent. Just get some rest." she stroked the beast's silky main and turned back to her borrowed home.

Lacie switched her computer on and smiled at the familiar humming noise. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't the of what. Something...blue? It was just her imagination. She was staying in France this week before going to Greece. She was so glad to be traveling again. It was her passion. Well that and horse racing.

Someone emailed her. Startled she looked down. Of course. It was her boyfriend. Off at training and missing her. She sent him a message back saying that she missed him too and couldn't wait to see him again.

She smiled. Life was good. She turned away from the computer not noticing the staticy face of the Doctor appearing on the screen, by the time she turned back around he was gone.

* * *

"Welcome home." a sexy voice whispered in Sidney's ear as strong arms wrapped around her waist. Sidney snorted and the collapsed in a fit of laughing.

"That tickles! Stop it!"

"No." the voice joked and turned her around.

Sidney wrapped her arms around his waist and tickled him.

"Hey!" he laughed and stopped her next attack with a kiss. "I missed you." he whispered.

Sidney's heart warmed. "I was only gone a few hours."

"But it was too long!" he complained, running his fingers though her frizzy hair.

Sidney rolled her eyes and kissed him again. "How 'bout next time you come with me?"

"Deal."

She disentangled herself from his embrace and walked over to another room in the house. She grasped the handle and turned toward her newly wed husband.

"How does it look?" she couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Exactly as you wanted it." he smiled coming up behind.

She squealed like a child, threw open the door, and stopped dead.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked.

Sidney covered her mouth with her hands, Tears welling up and threatening to spill over. "It's beautiful." she whispered.

She was standing in the circular tower room of her house. The room she had specifically picked for herself. In it was miles of shelves stocked full with more books than she could count. All her favorites. Part of the wall was free of shelves that stood over her desk and computer, and was a dark red color with black velvet curtains framing the window.

"I knew you would love it, Sam." he said kissing her cheek.

"Sam? Why did you call me that?"

* * *

The door banged shut and the sound of pounding feet echoed down the hall.

"Mommy! Mommy!" the children shrieked and jumped into Kristin's waiting arms. "You're home!"

"Oh, I missed you guys!" Kristin kissed them each on the forehead before putting them back on the floor.

"Hey honey, how was work?" Her husband asked coming around the corner.

"Oh, it was great! It was Tom's birthday so we didn't have to do much. How was your day?"

"Really good. I took the kiddos out to the park where they got all messy." he glared loving at two children scampering back down the hall to finish Astro Boy. "Then I took them back here, gave the a bath, and let them watch TV."

"Not too much, I hope."

"No. They just watched a Spongebob and I said they could finish Astro Boy."

Kristin smiled and placed her arms around his neck. "I love you."

He kissed her. "I love you too."

"Mommy! Come here!"

Kristin sighed, then smiled before continuing down the hall to go help her children. She noticed her cat and leaned down to pet it. It mooed. She yanked her hand back surprised but it meowed and she realized it must have just been her imagination. Silly her.

* * *

The Doctor was scared. Lacie, Kristin and Sidney were missing and he couldn't find them! He listened to the message they left for an eight billionth time.

"Yo, Doctor. You know how you said not to leave the TARDIS?" Sidney's voice said. "Well..."

"We did." Lacie cut in.

"And uh, we need you to, not come after us 'cause we are where we belong." Kristin said.

They chorused the ending. "Bye Doctor!"

It wasn't much information to go on, but it was all he had. The Doctor squinted at the frozen screen where Lacie, Kristin, and Sidney sat with unmoving smiles, their eyes stamped with worry and fear. His eyes widened as he took in their surroundings. "Wait a minute is that a Maldrithian star?Oh yes! How did i miss that?! I know where there are!" he exclaimed to no one in particular and throwing his trench coat on he raced out the door. Those girls were so impulsive, they have no idea what they have just gotten themselves into and to some extent neither did he.

* * *

"The pawns are falling into my trap perfectly." sneered a voice before running his tongue across his pointed teeth. Behind him Zilkey smiled, stepping out of the shadows.

"You called for me, sire?" he bowed respectfully.

"I did." the man paused dramatically. "I need your help. You hold a position in the Shadow Proclamation, is that correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. It would be very devastating if they were to get involved, don't you agree?"

"Yes m'lord." Zilkey bowed again and walked smoothly away hiding the smile that teased it's way onto his face.

"Excellent." the man laughed. "Bye-bye Doctor!"

* * *

Maldrith was a lone planet circling a violet dwarf star in some forgotten sector of a lost galaxy. It's inhabitants were few and shrinking. The living conditions of the planet were pitiful. Lack of vegetation and fresh water made the Maldrith the worst populated planet in the entire universe and several others as well. The whole thing was basically one giant desert.

However, things were not always this way. Once not so long ago Maldrith used to be a major stop for all travelers. With beautiful natural reserves and an abundance of supplies people would come from everywhere to live on this dazzling planet.

But soon the tiny hunk of rock became quickly overpopulated and the food and water supply diminished drastically, leaving very few survivors.

Terrified the government issued Protocol Silence, a secret operation to protect the planet that the civilians had no knowledge of.

No one knows what happened to the forty thousand remaining Maldrithians, but legend has it the were all lured to the planets core and were released to a vicious monster that lived there.

This was the planet the Doctor found himself searching for. Finding this planet however was like searching for a spaceship in a void. It was impossible. Or very nearly.

The Doctor grabbed a little pink cell phone from a chest under the TARDIS floor. He flipped it open and pressed speed dial 2. After three rings a women's voice crackled through the receiver.

"Really bad timing Doctor." Martha Jones gasped through the phone.

"Right sorry. There's just a little problem I need your help with."

Martha huffed impatiently. "Call me in a week when I complete my training."

The phone clicked off

The Doctor sighed and pulled a lever at the heart of the TARDIS. There was a small shudder and he hit speed dial 2 again.

"Martha this is kind of important."

"Doctor?"

"No it's some other time and space traveling alien calling you."

He heard a laugh. "I see your humor hasn't changed. What is it?"

"I need to know if there has been any rift or alien activity recently. Actually about two weeks ago."

"Why didn't you contact Jack?" she asked skeptically.

"I tried but he wouldn't pick up. Stupid old man doesn't know how to answer a phone."

"Easy now, I'm searching through a database. It'll just take a moment."

The Doctor drummed his fingers impatiently on the dashboard.

"Hang on." The Doctors head snapped up and he gripped the phone tightly. "There has been some rift activity recently. Two weeks ago right? It looks like some sort of passage opened up in the United States, a place called Gig Harbor. The owner of a small bookstore reported some strange things happening in her shop. Doctor? What's this all about?"

"Three of my friends have gone missing. I have to find them. I promised." He hung his head. "I promised I would keep them safe."

"It's all right Doctor, you'll find them. You always do."

"Thank you. Martha." he closed the phone and set it on the dashboard.

He grabbed his monitor screen and typed in a few coordinates and parked the TARDIS a few blocks from the bookstore. He walked down the sidewalk trying to blend in with the Washingtonians but failed miserably. A tall man in a brown trench coat and red high-topped converse tend to draw the eye. He smiled sheepishly at a group of glaring old ladies before slipping into the store.

An older women with short gray hair, a salmon pink shirt and a pair of reading glasses looked up from her novel as the bell above the door rang.

The Doctor approached the counter and gave the women a winning smile. She blushed and set her book aside, momentarily forgotten.

"Excuse me but I was wondering if a group of girls came into your shop about two weeks ago?"

The women looked confused so the Doctor hurried to explain.

"There were three. One was normal sized with longish blond hair and blue eyes. Another was on the tall side with long curly brown hair, you've probably seen her around here often, and the other was tall with short brown hair and brown eyes. Do any of them sound familiar?"

"Actually, I believe I do recall them. Yes the curly one came in here and headed straight to the teen section and the other two followed her. It seemed like they were here for hours but when I went to check on them, they'd seemed a bit flustered you see, they weren't there. Age hasn't been my friend. Things always seem to slip my notice." the women giggled her eyes darting back to her book finally remembering it's existence. "I didn't notice them leave."

The Doctor pondered this information for a moment. "I've heard that you made a report about strange things that have been going on...?"

The lady blinked twice and removed her glasses wiping them on the hem of her shirt. "And who are you?" She asked eyeing him.

"Sorry." The Doctor smiled and flipped open his Psychic Paper. "John Smith, private investigator. I'm checking in about the phone call you made."

"I thought they had ignored my case." She sighed and faced the Doctor. "The books have been talking to me."

The Doctor stared.

"Over there." She pointed to where the girls had been. "I've had people come in to inspect it, but they can't hear the voices. No one believes me." her lip quivered.

The Doctor put his hand on hers. "I believe you."

He released her and turned to face the books. Somehow the girls had gotten themselves captured by Maldrithians. He didn't know the why or the how but he was going to find out. Quickly he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and crept to the teen section. There were books by Stephanie Meyer and L.J. Smith and an assortment of others. The Doctor reached his hand out and felt a tingling to let him know something non human had ripped it's way here through the very fabric of space itself.

He pointed the screwdriver at the empty air and flicked it on. It glowed for a moment and his eyes widened. This was not good.

* * *

Something was definitely wrong.

Kristin couldn't find her keys. She could have sworn she had left them on the counter. She searched around the kitchen for a moment before calling out for her husband. "Honey? Have you seen my keys?"

"Yeah they were on the counter!" he called back.

"They're not there anymore."

"Well then I don't know what to tell you."

Kristin let out a huff while her husband called for their children.

"Kids! Did you take Mommies keys?"

"No!" they chorused.

"Don't worry, hon. We'll find them." he said stepping into the kitchen.

Together they all combed the house. Searching and researching but came up with nothing.

Kristin was sifting through the contents of one of her side tables when her cat stretched and crawled out from beneath the bed before hopping on top of it.

Kristin smiled and reached down to pet it's silky fur when it spoke. "Master, do not trust your eyes."

Kristin rubbed her eyes, blinking a few times as if it would clear her vision.

"Master, do not trust your eyes."

"Did-did you just-just-" she couldn't finish. She slapped herself.

"Doctor."

She didn't understand. Her thought remained on her cat for the rest of the day and a looming feel stole over her. It was as if she had forgotten something, something very, very important.

* * *

Lacie played with the marble ring on her finger. Where had she gotten this? And why could it not be removed? She shrugged it off and continued packing for her trip to Greece. This was her least favorite part of moving, she really needed to get some butlers.

With a sigh she collapsed in a chair picked up a sharpie and hauled the nearest box in front of her with her feet. She pulled off the cap and the pungent yet strangely enjoyable odor of the marker hit her nostrils.

"Alright boxes. Prepare to be labeled." She scratched 'kitchen supplies' on it's side and reached for another mentally kicking herself for not having a better system. And why did she have so much stuff anyway?

Lacie was about to label her eighteenth box when something in her pocket vibrated. Startled her hand immediately reached for her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey sweetheart." Lacie smiled, she'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Hello sexy, what's the occasion?"

"Look outside."

Lacie turned her head in astonishment and saw him standing in her front yard arms open wide and waiting.

"You-" she spluttered and chased after his laughter. In a matter of seconds she was barreling across the yard and into his open arms. "What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

His arms encircled her waist and he spun her around before planting a big slobbering kiss on her cheek and laughed as she wiped it off.

"I missed you." he said into her neck as he held her close.

"Yeah well, I didn't miss you a bit." She said a little breathlessly. He laughed in her ear.

"So is that a no to a kiss?"

"Yes!"

"Yes?" he laughed and leaned forward.

"Yes I mean no." Lacie pushed him away playfully.

"No?" he smiled trying to look hurt and failing miserably.

"Yes!"

He laughed and leaned in too quickly for Lacie to react and gave her a peck on the lips. She laughed, grabbed his hand and began leading him back to the house.

"We have some packing to do."

"Can you get the last cloths box?"

Lacie called back from the balcony. "Yeah. Just a sec."

She went to the bathroom and grabbed the cardboard box sitting on top of the toilet.

"Trust not your eyes, Madam."

"What the-" Lacie didn't see anyone around.

"Trust not your eyes, Madam."

She glanced down at her ring and yelped. It had a face!

"Who are you?!"

"Trust not your eyes, Madam."

"What? Why?"

"Doctor."

* * *

It was dark outside when the voice first spoke to Sidney.

_Do not trust your eyes._

She sat bolt upright. Her husband groaned and rolled over putting an arm on her leg. "What's wrong sweety?" He asked, his voice groggy with sleep.

"Nothing. I just thought I heard something is all." She whispered. "Go back to bed." Though he already was. With a sigh she returned to sleeping position, lying closer to her husband than normal. That voice had sounded way too real to have come from her dream.

"How did you sleep." Sidney's husband asked distractedly as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Fine." Sidney sighed and broke away from him reaching for a glass from the cupboard.

_Do not trust your eyes._

The glass shattered against the floor.

"Sidney?" Her husband was instantly by her side, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." She spluttered. "Just got a little dizzy for a moment." She smiled up at her husband. "Maybe I should lay down for a moment."

"Yeah that might be a good idea." he scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. Sidney giggled as he tickled her side.

"Are you sure you'll be alright while I'm gone?" He asked for the fiftieth time and kissed her forehead.

"Yes!" Sidney assured. "I feel better already. You better get going before your boss gets mad at you."

"Alright. I'll be home early okay. Just rest." He gave her a passionate kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go!" She laughed and gave a gentle shove towards the door.

"Miss you already!" He called before closing the door.

Sidney sighed and snuggled into the couch with her book, contently reading for the next three hours.

_Do not trust your eyes._

She froze. Her head instantly turned to the window. Outside was a strange man. He was short and chubby with a round wrinkled face and thinning blond hair. He stared at her severely arms clasped behind his back.

_Do not trust your eyes._

_Why?_

_Doctor._

The man turned and retreated. Sidney starred after him with a bazillions questions running through her head and nagging feeling tugging at the back of her mind. What couldn't she remember?

* * *

Telepathic energy. The Doctor hadn't seen this in a hundred years. He dashed back to the TARDIS and plugged his screwdriver into the control panel. An image popped up on the monitor. This was not good.

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair. The energy from the bookstore was so faded the TARDIS couldn't lock onto any definite coordinates. He drummed his fingers impatiently thinking. He knew what he needed to do, he just wished there was another option.

With a grunt he threw a switch and banged on the dashboard. The TARDIS shuddered and rumbled as if it were falling down a steep hill. The Doctor clung to the TARDIS heart for dear life.

With one final shipquake the TARDIS was still.

The Doctor raced out to doors and immediately regretted not grabbing his gas mask. Smoke clogged up his lungs making him weeze as if he were the one smoking.

He was in a darkly lit room with only a few candles in the whole facility. Groups of sweaty men sat on leather booths smoking and drinking as scandalously clad women danced in front of them. The Doctor approached one of the waitresses. She smiled and offered him a glass of bubbling orange liquid.

The Doctor shook his head. "No thank you. I'm looking for Capricorn." He showed her his Psychic Paper.

Her smile disappeared. "Follow me." She muttered through clenched teeth and led him through the crowd to the bar. She approached the spiky orange bartender and whispered something in his ear.

Casually he reached beneath the counter and pressed a button. The Doctor felt the ground beneath him give way and he was swallowed by darkness.

He blinked a few times adjusting his eyes to the impossibly dim room.

"Sorry about that Doctor." Said a deep booming voice.

The Doctor froze and slowly turned to face the speaker. A large fat man with sickling green skin and a large golden nose ring was sitting on a thrown of servants who were sweating and gasping from the immense weight atop their backs.

"You have come here for my assistance then?" he plucked a yellow grape from its vine and plopped it in his mouth the juice dribbling down his chin.

"I need the map, Capricorn."

The man's eyes narrowed and he eyes the Doctor warily. "There are many maps in this world Doctor, which one do you mean?" his voice was guarded.

"Plagiarius Absens."

Capricorn stared at the Doctor for what seemed like an hour. The Doctor returned his gaze unblinking.

"What you request I cannot give. You know that." He returned to eating his grapes.

"Capricorn," the Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and began lazily pacing about the room. "Do you remember about twelve years ago on Kleshgrove 3?"

The fat man gulped.

"I saved your life." he held out his hand. "The map please."

"I'm sorry Doctor, but I have sworn never to give this map to anyone searching for the Hidden Treasures."

"Well then you shall not break your vow. I am not searching for the Treasures. Three of my friends were kidnapped and I know they are somewhere on the Lost Planet."

Capricorn's face relaxed slightly, but he shook his head unwavering. "I can not give you the map. I have taken an oath never to relinquish my hold of it. I'm sorry Doctor."

"You can pass the map on to someone else by decree of Anthos the fifth in his addition to the Siren Code in 1304. 'Tens years past, the Map may change hands to a worthy soul capable of protecting such treasure from all evil. Only he of such description may gaze upon Plagiarius Absens and only he may venture to the Lost Planet.'" The Doctor quoted. "I am that man."

Capricorn devoured another eight grapes before reply. "I am not he to judge who is worthy or not."

"Listen to me," the Doctor said carefully, "You know I am the man of which he speaks. The map will never be seen on board the TARDIS. It will be safe from all evil there."

Capricorn rubbed his temples. He pressed a button next to his armrest and a small platform rose before him.

On it were four stones, each identical to the next.

"Of which of these stones is the Siren's Eye?" Capricorn spoke gravely.

The Doctor frowned and examined the gems. He knew he could not use his screwdriver or the test would be invalid, he had to use his extensive knowledge to find the Siren's Eye.

"May I touch them?" he asked.

"You may."

The Doctor picked up the one on the end and held it to the light and frowned. He did the same thing with the other three, but he kept his discoveries to himself. He placed the last stone down and thought deeply.

Capricorn hung his head. The Doctor was unworthy.

A smile lit up the Doctor's face. "Of course! Oh that's brilliant! An Image Mask!" Capricorn gave him a strange look. "Legend says that the Siren's Eye captivates all with a glow of the Northern sun. The Image Mask prevents the glow from showing so its easier to hide. When you hold it up to the light the Mask prevents light from shining through. See this one?" He holds the stone up to the light. "There's no glow. That's quite good, actually."

With a look of utter amazement Capricorn applauded the Doctor. "You have passed the test, I am permitted to give you the map." He sighed and stood, much to the relief of his servants who collapsed in a heap too tired to move. He walked over to a stack of velvet covered boxes and grabbed the top one. He ran his hand around the seam and with a click it sprung open revealing a yellowing piece of parchment.

Carefully Capricorn removed the paper from its velvet lining and with shaking hand held it out to the Doctor.

"Do you swear to take all personal responsibility for this map?"

"Yes." the Doctor answered calmly.

"And do you swear you will not use this map to find the Hidden Treasures?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I relinquish my responsibility to you. You are now the Protector of Plagiarius Absens. God save your soul."

"Thanks for the dramatics, Capricorn." The Doctor snatched the paper from his outstretched hand. "I'll be taking my leave now."

He was one step closer to finding the girls and he would find them alive and well.

**End of Part 1**


	2. The Search

**This one has a little horror mixed in. I have thoroughly enjoyed mentally destroying my characters. Btw the first part of this story and my last one were actually from like a year ago. I wrote them either last year or the year before, so if there are a lot of mistakes, I apologize. **

* * *

**Doctor Who - The Search (Part 2 of The Lost Planet)**

By: LaPierreVonTigger

Falco was going to die. That's just it. There was no way for him to save himself. The portal had closed up when he had thrown Gamma into it. He saved her life, but doomed his own. By the looks of the timer he had about five minutes left until the end of his world, well five minutes until he burned to a crisp. He gazed longingly up at the stars, knowing that as he sat there in the dirt that his friends and family were flying far away to seek refuge in the stars. He prayed that their lives would be good.

Sweat poured down his face as the temperature slowly increased, maybe he had over estimated, he didn't think he could survive another five minutes in this scorching heat. He licked his dry lips, but he had no saliva left to moisten them, so they stayed cracked and bleeding.

Falco let one tear escape, but it just fizzled and evaporated. The timer that counts down to the end of the world kept ticking.

*theme*

The Doctor parked the TARDIS, flung open the doors, and was nearly knocked down by the wave of heat that assaulted him. He looked around carefully.

"No. No, this isn't it." He mumbled when he noticed a set of eyes peering at him. The Doctor stared.

"Hi." The boy in the dirt whispered, his throat almost too dry to speak.

"Get over here!" The Doctor cried, but the boy couldn't seemed to make his body move.

Worriedly the Doctor raced over scooped the boy up and carried him back to the TARDIS like a baby. He placed him on the ground leaning against the TARDIS heart and immediately began their departure routine.

When they were a safe distance from the dying planet the Doctor grabbed a tumbler of water from the room over and thrust it into the boys hands. "Drink!" He instructed.

Bewildered the boy obeyed, gulping the liquid greedily. He'd never tasted anything so good in his life.

The Doctor watched him has the boy downed the whole container and licked his lips satisfied. "What's your name?"

"Falco."

"You're a Volgeck?"

Falco nodded curious about the strange man who saved his life.

"Why were you the only one on your planet?" The Doctor squatted so that he was

eye level with the youth.

The boy stared out at nothing for a moment, his face full of sadness at the memories. "The portal to the spaceship closed before I could get through." He whispered, then remembered something. "I am in your debt, sir." He bowed with his hand perpendicular to his forehead. "Whatever I can do for you, I will."

The Doctor smiled. "It's the Doctor, and there's no need for any of that." He stood and turned back to the monitor. "But if you want to come with me..."

"Yes I do!" Falco scrambled to his feet, but got dizzy and stumbled back.

The Doctor was by his side in an instant, placing his hands on either side of Falco's face and closing his eyes. "Water." He mumbled and grabbed the tumbler and refilled it. "Just sit still for a while, you are very dehydrated."

Falco just nodded and gripped the glass as if it would float away if he let go, he didn't remember when he fell asleep.

* * *

Falco groaned and stretched. He felt infinitely better, like he could conquer the world. He stood and rubbed the back of his neck looking around the strange room. There were so many things that he couldn't identify.

So many things surrounded him, things he shouldn't be seeing. Falco made a decision right there and then, that he would treasure every day he got to live. He smiled, closed his eyes, and bowed to the emptiness. Thank you, Doctor.

He opened his eyes and saw a small rectangular object. He grabbed it and turned it over. The Forbidden Game. Falco started flipping through the pages.

"That's Sidney's."

Falco jumped dropping the book. "Sorry." He mumbled and picked the book back up.

"S'all right." The Doctor held out his hand and Falco handed over the small object. "Sidney's one of my friends."

"Your mate?" he asked awkwardly.

The Doctor looked up. "What? Yes-wait-no! No, not in that way, she's just a friend. Sidney, Lacie, and Kristin. They're all my friends, traveling with me right now. Well, they were until they-sort of-went missing."

"You lost them?"

" yes. I'm working on it! They are somewhere on the Lost Planet."

Falco's eyes widened. "They are lost forever."

"What?" The Doctor grew serious, he searched his face looking for something, anything.

"Where I come from we hear stories about the Lost Planet. It is possible to get there, but those who do never come back."

"Why?"

"The beast at the center of the planet gets hungry and there are no more natives to feed it." Falco closed his eyes. "We have to find your friends soon or the same fate will happen to them." He opened his eyes. "Or it could have already happened."

* * *

There were eyes all around Sidney. She could feel them watching her, millions staring right into her soul. "Who's there?' She asked shakily running through her home.

But the feeling of being watched never wavered. Sidney stumbled as she raced outside to the playground down the street. Trying to find someone, anyone who could free her from the mysterious gazes.

As she ran the ground beneath her shifted. She glanced down and slipped, falling into a pile of sand. She scrambled up and looked about her. Her entire neighborhood had been transformed into a beach.

There were two archways far down the shore line just a few feet inland. Sidney started for them, trying desperately to run, but the sand ate at her feet with each step. Her breathing was labored and there was a stitch in her side, but she kept running, trying to escape the eyes.

Her knee buckled and she collapsed on the ground unable to move, she felt like death and the eyes were still watching.

Slowly she lifted her head and gazed at the foreboding arches. She had to choose between the two.

One whispered words to her, enticing her to enter beneath its shimmering tiles. The other was silent, but Sidney could smell glorious fumes wafting through its earthy arch. She coughed and began crawling towards the smelly arch blinking back darkness.

There was a sensation of cold as she passed through and she saw feet. Sidney gasped and her eyes followed the leg up to the grinning face of her husband who held his hand out for her, warm and enticing. She smiled and took his hand feelings of love and comfort stole over her and instantly the pain she had felt before was gone.

"Wrong." He said. "It's your fault."

Sidney was confused for a moment, then realization slowly sank in. She didn't completely understand, but she was unconsciously aware that something bad was going to happen.

Her husband made a choking sound and blood dripped down his face. Sidney screamed and tried to reach out for him, but he kept jumping out of her skin of his forehead began peeling away and she could see the muscle and bone beneath.

Tears streamed down her face and she backed up horrified, hitting a wall she sank to the ground sobbing unable to turn her gaze from her husband.

The choking sound continued and the skin started falling, no, melting off of him. Sidney screamed, "NO!"

But it was too late. He was just a skeleton standing before her. He held out his hand, shakily she reached for it and brushed her fingers against his bone. He let out a piercing scream and crumbled into dust.

"NO!" Sidney collapsed, curling up into a ball, heart wrenching sobs shaking her entire being. "Come back." She whispered.

The eyes kept watching.

* * *

There was nothing she could do, her husband had slipped away from her and Kristin couldn't do anything! The disease had ravaged his body and left him a hollow shell of the human he had once been. She let out an agonizing scream.

"Mommy?"

Kristin whirled around, wiping her eyes. "What is it sweetie?" She sniffed.

"My head feels cold.'

Kristin's face paled. "What?" She grabbed the child and placed a hand on her forehead, it was freezing. "No, oh God no. Please!"

"Mama." Her youngest came waddling down the hall shivering, she sneezed.

"No!" Kristin grabbed them both and was at the hospital as fast as time would allow.

She shook with terror. First her husband and now her children had come down with some incurable disease. She'd never seen anything like it and she couldn't do anything! All the tests, the lack of effect of the medicine, it all pointed to one thing: they were going to die. She let out a choked sobbed as she poured over their charts trying to find something, anything that could save them.

"Mommy?" Her son raised his head, although he was almost too weak to do even that.

Kristin was at his side in an instant. "I'm here. What is it?"

"It's all your fault."

She lets out a choked sob.

"You killed us."

"No." It was barely a whisper.

"It's your fault, you brought the sickness home. You killed us." He broke off into a horrible coughing fit. "I will-never" His breathing is ragged and shallow. "forgive you."

He began shaking and shivering. His tiny body kept convulsing, twisting the little boy who was sobbing and making these horrible strangled noises with each breath. Kristin screamed, it was too much for her to bare. No parent should have to be put through this.

Her daughter coughed and Kristin ran to her side. "Honey? You're going to be okay, do you understand? Mommy won't let anything happen to you."

"Mama." The small girl opened her bloodshot eyes.

"Oh, honey!" Kristin cried.

"Hate Mama."

Kristin sank to the ground, tears pouring down her face as her horrible screams filled the room. Only a parent could understand the exact pain she was feeling. It was like her heart was dying, that she was dying with her children.

"Why?!" She yelled, her voice hoarse. "Why didn't you take me?!"

The sound of her children in pain filled her ears, driving her mad. She kept her head down, eyes so full of tears she couldn't see anything anyway.

She stayed that way, fists clenching the sheets of her daughter's bed and trembling until the silence around her became deafening.

Shakily, Kristin looked up. Her daughter's glassy eyes were staring right at her, a single tear ran down the small ashen face. Kristin heard her voice whispering in her head.

I hate Mama.

Darkness closed around her.

* * *

Bodies were everywhere, hundreds, thousands of them all laying on the ground. everywhere she looked Lacie could see death. What had happened here?

She walked through the sea of rotting corpses searching in vain for a survivor.

"Lacie"

She whirled around, but there was no one there. "Hello?" She called, nerves catching the word so it came out small and almost inaudible.

The corpses started moving and she let out a shriek, jumping backwards.

But-but they weren't standing, they were...falling?

Lacie felt the ground shift beneath her and she was sliding down with the bodies. One hit the back of her legs and she toppled over, falling onto a particularly large man. Half of his face was nothing more than a skull with a few pieces of decaying flesh clinging to the bone. Maggots squirmed beneath his skin, poking out of his eye sockets. Lacie screamed struggling to get away from the horrifying scene in front of her.

She struggled against the mob, but it was too late. The ground had opened up and she was falling into the darkness surrounded by a sea of death, heading towards an even worse fate.

"Lacie."

A spotlight flashed on, illuminating a single person standing, waiting.

Lacie blinked in the sudden light. She squinted, the figure slowly coming into focus.

Her boyfriend!

She raced over to him. "What's going on? What happened?" She demanded, near hysteria.

"I don't know." He sneered. "I was dead at the time."

She let out a nervous laugh. " Don't joke about that!" Her bottom lip quivered.

"I was dead at the time." He repeated, motioning towards his neck.

Lacie gasped. There was a large gash that was so deep she could see his windpipe. The pieces of the flesh from the wound flapped in and out with each breath.

She backed away, tears spilling over. "What-what are-" she choked. "What are you saying? You're here! You're talking! You can't be-" She couldn't finish.

"I'm saying." he snarled. "That this is all your fault! Look what you've done!" his voice echoed through the din as he thrust his arm behind him.

More spotlights flickered on each illuminating their own dead body. Hundreds of people moaning and crying. They surrounded her, filling her vision with rotting flesh, lost appendages and blood. So much blood...

"How can this be my fault?!" She wailed, sinking to her knees.

Her boyfriend grabbed her, his hands biting into her arms. His face contorted in rage. "You did this, this is your fault! You killed me!"

"How?!" She screamed. "HOW?!"

He released her and stood back, watching her with a smug smile before he crumpled. All around her bodies collapsed, the life they possessed after death suddenly gone.

A white mist rose from each of the bodies, forming of the cloud of sadness and pain. "Your fault!" The voices of a thousand deaths wailed.

There was a high pitched scream and the mist flew down, passing through her. Lacie felt a chill and the piercing agony of a thousand hearts before she too collapsed.

* * *

Falco was fascinated. Everything was so-so complex! He had no idea what he was looking at but he desperately wanted to. "Whats that one?" he asked excitedly, indicating a small flashing orange knob.

"That's the extonic transmogrifier." the Doctor answered calmly.

"What does that mean?"

"No idea." he muttered mulling over the monitor screen. "I knew it!" he exclaimed suddenly smacking the control panel.

"Knew what?" Falco rushed to his side trying to make sense of the strange little squiggles.

"I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque." the Doctor chuckled softly.

Falco looked at him curiously. "Have you gone mad?"

"Sorry. I forgot you're not human." He pointed to a small dot on the screen. "That is a planet humorously named Albuquerque and is an important rest stop for most intergalactic travelers."

"Okay...?" Falco wasn't sure what this had to do with anything.

"Most forget to take the left turn out of the planet around the Trianth star which leads to the Pluthon Wormhole. A central channel straight to Caberonle."

Falco nodded as if that all made sense. "Is Caberonle a level 7 planet?"

The Doctor gazed at him as if he were the crazy one. "It's a galaxy and a large one at that."

"Ohhhhhh..." Faco scratched his bald head. "But what does this have to do with you finding your friends?"

"Nothing!" He cried poking Falco playfully on the nose. "And everything." He zoomed around the heart of the TARDIS, pulling levers and pushing buttons. "The map says we have to navigate through the Pluthon Wormhole which is incredibly difficult because it's the only part of space with traffic. Traffic!" he snorted. "Anyway, none of that matters because I missed the turn."

"Can't you just turn around?" Falco suggested.

The Doctor shook his head sadly. "Poor Volgeck. We're in the TARDIS! We can just skip over all that."

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?" Falco was trying very hard to keep his cool, but he could feel control slipping through his fingers.

The Doctor scoffed. "We're searching for the Lost Planet, we need to follow the map exactly!"

Falco screeched. "Then why are we skipping over it?!"

"Stop being ridiculous. Face the corner and keep quiet. I'm trying to save my friends lives."

Falco crossed his three arms over his chest and sat grumpily in the corner as he was directed. He was not ridiculous!

The Doctor smacked a set of buttons with a small mallet causing the TARDIS to jolt violently upside down. Flaco clung to a squiggly pillar praying for his life.

"What's going on?" He cried.

The Doctor yelled back. "Apparently we should have turned around!"

* * *

"Are our guests enjoying their accommodations?"

Zilkey bowed with a sneer. "Yes My Lord Erysichthon." he coughed slightly, practically swallowing his own tongue trying to pronounce his Lord's name.

"Excellent!" Erysichthon grabbed a nail file from inside his desk drawer and began to sharpen his large yellow claws. "It won't be long until they are Ripe." He laughed viciously, spittle dripping down his pale, tattooed chin. "Go forth and begin making the necessary preparations. The beast must be ready for his virgin feast."

Zilkey bowed again and exited the room, keeping to the left of the corridor, deep in concentration.

_They are alive. Hurry._

**End of Part 2**


End file.
